WICKED Cast Countdown 2013/14 With Willemijn Verkaik

The incoming West End cast of international stage sensation WICKED is highlighted in a series of new featurettes promoting the upcoming major company changeover of many of the lead roles, with a new clip introduced today highlighting Willemijn Verkaik as Elphaba.

Willemijn Verkaik is featured in the new clip, seen in costume and in character for the first time.

The official synopsis of WICKED is as follows: "If you think you know the Wicked Witch of the West, think again... When Dorothy famously triumphed over the Wicked Witch, we only ever heard one side of the story. Gregory Maguire's acclaimed 1995 novel, 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West', re-imagined the Land of Oz, creating a parallel universe to the familiar story written by L. Frank Baum and first published as 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' in 1900. Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two girls who first meet as sorcery students at Shiz University: the blonde and very popular Glinda and a misunderstood green girl named Elphaba. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda's unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power while Elphaba's determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences for her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. The spectacular, multi award-winning stage musical, with music and lyrics by Academy Award winner Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, has become "the biggest thing in musicals since The Phantom of the Opera opened" (The Times).

WICKED plays at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London's West End and is also currently on tour in the UK and Ireland.

More information on WICKED in the West End and on tour in the UK and Ireland is available at the official site here.

For more information on the recent WICKED photo shoot, check out a previous BroadwayWorld article here.

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Pat Cerasaro is BroadwayWorld's Chief Interviewer and Senior Editor, contributing exclusive scholarly columns including InDepth InterViews, Sound Off, Theatrical Throwback Thursdays, Flash Friday and Flash Special as well as additional special features, world premiere clips and extensive news coverage. His work for the site has appeared in The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, US Weekly, The Biography Channel, NBC and more. He also wrote and directed two sold-out 2014 BroadwayWorld charity concert events featuring all-star casts, EVERYTHING'S COMING UP BROADWAYWORLD.COM: A JULE STYNE TRIBUTE and THE LORD & THE MASTER: BROADWAYWORLD.COM SINGS THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER & STEPHEN SONDHEIM.